A dagger? Eyes on a plate? What intrigue! (Continued from an earlier post…) Inspired by Sant’Agata of Catania before her, Lucia refused to participate in the activities of the brothel to which she was condemned. This of course, angered the madame, who called the Roman authorities to further punish the maiden. Somewhere in this mayhem,…
Category: Art
Let’s Light Up These Dark Days on Sunday With Santa Lucia
At the dawn of the 4th century, practicing Christianity in the Roman-ruled city of Siracusa was illegal. Already though, inspired by nearby Catania’s Patron Saint, Sant’Agata, who lived just a few decades before (from 231 AD – 251 AD), the young and beautiful Lucia devoted herself to Christianity. In fact, she was known to enter…
The Goddess Demeter To Santa Lucia
Join us for a party for La Festa di Santa Lucia (Saint Lucy)! This 3rd century BCE bust was found in Siracusa at the site of what was the sanctuary of Demeter and Kore (Persephone). Do you know the myth of the goddess Demeter and her maiden daughter? This Sunday, December 8 at Cacio e…
Ancient Myths Light The Way
The legend of Santa Lucia starts before the early 4th century CE, when the maiden was killed by Roman soldiers for being Christian. Lucy’s story as we know it today starts with the ancient Greek divinities Demeter and Persephone. Demeter is the goddess of the grain, the harvest, and fertility. Persephone, Demeter’s daughter, is the…
Be Amazed By The Baroque During October in Sicily
Right off of Quattro Canti in the historic center of Palermo is the stunning Church of Saint Joseph of the Theatines. Initially built by the austere, yet aristocratic Catholic order between 1612 and 1645, over the 17th century the interior decor grew to reflect the era”s popular Baroque art and design style, one that was…
Going Baroque In Palermo At Casa Professa
Cherubs caressing mermaids are the focus of this detail of the dizzying Baroque artwork you’ll find at the Chiesa del Gesù (also known as Casa Professa) in Palermo. Decorated from floor to ceiling with inlaid marble, stucco, frescos, and sculpture, this Catholic temple is one of the most shocking sites you’ll see in the Sicilian…
Ancient Sicily That Sings
This lekythos with a woman lute player depicted on it was found in a tomb at Selinunte. Lekythoi (plural) were vases used to store oils for use in the gymnasium or bath or for funerary functions. Note the red-figure. This was an Athenian-style technique specific to the 5th century BCE.
Sicilian Splendors In Taormina and Beyond
Taormina offers us so many splendors… Yet so do the hidden corners of Sicily described so thoughtfully by author John Keahey. Join me in NYC for a reading by Keahey of his Sicilian Splendors on Sunday, November 17 at 2pm at Cacio e Vino restaurant. RSVP at https://experiencesicily.com/events/book-reading-with-john-keahey/
Door Knocker in Palermo
Door knocker, Palermo
Celebrate Saint Lucy In New York City
Now that the clocks have changed and the daylight is growing shorter here in the northeastern United States, I turn to Santa Lucia or Saint Lucy, the patron saint of light, to guide me. Her official feast day is December 13, which, before the change to the Gregorio calendar, was the date of the winter…